Cigarette extender



May 19, 1964 Y R 3,133,545

CIGARETTE EXTENDER Filed Aug. 30, 1960 jg z 1292a J71 ven for Charles J. .h eyer by flimmdw, Jztarney United States Patent Ofiice 3,133,545. CIGARETTE EXTENDER Charles Arthur Meyer, 13M W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago 12, TIL, assignor of one-half to Frank eghetti, Chicago, Ill.

Filed Aug. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 52,941 1 2 Claims. (Cl. 131-10) The present invention relates generally to cigarettes and in particular to means for converting the long-standard form of cigarette to a recessed form or to a recessed filtered form.

The term long-standard cigarette as used herein refers to the form in which the rolled paper wrapper is a tube filled from end to end with the shredded tobacco contents, with or without the so-called cork tip over the paper at one end.

Recent advances in the physical form of cigarettes include the filtered form and the recessed form. In the filtered form, there is enclosed within the smokers end of the cigarette a filter terminating flush with the wrapper or recessed inwardly from the open end of the wrapper. The recessed non-filtered form is one in which the tobacco content terminates inwardly from the open end of the wrapper.

The tobacco contents of various brands differ in taste and smoking quality, and the various brands differ in other respects, such as length, package and price. For one or more reasons a given smoker prefers a particular brand, and to use such brand he may avoid using a filtered form or a recessed form, although desiring that his particular brand be recessed or be filtered, or both.

The present invention provides means separate from a cigarette which may be applied to a long-standard cigarette, or to a recessed unfiltered cigarette, for converting it to a filtered form, or to a recessed form, or to a filtered and recessed form.

The means hereof comprises a piece of sheet material bearing normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive, in a form permitting it to be applied as an extension of the smokers end of a cigarette with overlapping portions forming a tubular extension. In one form, the sheet so to be used may carry a preformed filter in fixed positions thereon so that on completing the tubular extension, the filter either is recessed or terminates at the end of the tubular extension.

Since means such as described may be economically available, and hence, dispensed in a package containing a plurality of them, each such means is constructed with peelable protective covering over the normally tacky adhesive, and such covering is preferably so formed in size and shape that it may be easily grasped for removal by a peeling action.

The invention may be carried out in numerous ways, the presently preferred structures being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a long-standard cigarette.

FIG. 2 represents an attachment for forming a recessed cigarette.

FIG. 2a is similar to FIG. 2 showing the presence of .sticky material within the resulting recessed end.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in cross-section showing the cigarette of FIG. 1 with the attachment of FIG. 2 in place.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the cigarette of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of an attachment similar to FIG. 2,

3,133,545 Patented May 19, 1964 FIG. 8 is a modified form of FIG. 5 to produce a non-recessed cigarette.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to or by the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings and that modifications are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 represents a long-standard cigarette 10 having paper wrapper 11 and tobacco filler 12.

FIG. 2 shows means 13 to extend cigarette 10 to a recessed form. It is a piece of suitable material, such as paper 14, which may have the conventional cork material on the underside (in the drawing), and it has a suitable shape for forming a tubular extension, being preferably rectangular as shown.

Along one edge 15, there is a band 16 of normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive (hereinafter referred to merely as adhesive), and along the opposite edge 17 there is a portion with adhesive and a portion free of adhesive. The connecting edge 19 has a connecting band 20 of adhesive, preferably wider than band 16. Over the whole is a peelable sheet 21, shown in fragmentary form at one end only, of material lined with a suitable compound C, which is readily peelable from the adhesive of bands is and 20. The sheet 21 preferably has at least one portion of one edge projecting beyond an edge of sheet 13, merely to facilitate grasping it for peeling action. One edge 22 is shown projecting from the edge 19a of sheet 13 opposite band 24).

After peeling sheet 21 from sheet 13, the portion having band 29 is placed over the end of cigarette 10 and united by pressure, with the free edge 17 first rolled on, followed by edge 15 of which the band 16 of adhesive is united to the underside (in the drawing) of the sheet 14 adjacent edge 17.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section of th resulting extended recessed cigarette, the parts being similarly numbered.

FIG. 4 is a view of the end only, of the extended form of FIG. 3.

The side edge 19 and the opposite side edge 19a are parallel and at right angles to the axis dimension of the sheet in its tubular form of FIG. 3. The end edges 15 and 17 complete the form and are preferably straight edges forming a quadrilateral sheet. The end edges are spaced apart sufiiciently to provide overlapping ends in the tubular form.

FIG. 2a is a modified form of FIG. 2 in which the entire area of sheet 1411 is covered with adhesive 20a, and in consequence, peelable sheet 21 is adhered to the entire area of the sheet 14a. One advantage of this form is that the interior of the recessed end (see FIG. 3) is tacky to catch any tobacco particles loosened from the end of the cigarette.

The extension means shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 may be modified to include a filter for a recessed form, by making the extension longer and including a filter. FIG. 5 shows a sheet similar to that shown in FIG. 2, and with a filter attached to it. It comprises a sheet 30 having along two adjacent edges 31 and 32 bands 33 and 34 of adhesive, as described for FIG. 2, except that the band 34 extends to an edge 35 located close to the opposite edge of sheet 30. Alined with what is to be the end of the cigarette to be extended is one end 36 of a filter 37 united by a portion 38 of the adhesive of band 34. The other end 39 of the filter-is alined with the edge 35 of the adhesive band 3 just inwardly from edge 40 of sheet 30. The distance between edges 35 and 40 is the depth of recess in FIG. 7. In use, the filter unit 37 becomes adhesively united to the sheet 30 over its entire circumference.

FIG. 6 shows a peelable sheet 41 adhered to band 33,

and the two ends of adhesive band 34. Preferably, the sheets 30 and 41 are of equal width in the direction parallel to edge 31.

FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view with the extension means of FIG. attached to a long-standard cigarette 43, the parts being numbered as in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 8 is a modified form of the structure shown in FIG. 5, differing only in dimensions and in terminating the filter at the end of the extended cigarette. It has sheet 50 entirely covered with adhesive 51. Onto a portion of the adhesive is secured a filter unit 55 with its inner end 5'6 alined to abut the end of the cigarette to be extended, and with its outer end 58 alined with the edge 59 of sheet 50. Peelable cover for it may be presented as described and illustrated (see FIG. 6) for the structure of FIG. 5.

The provision of normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive and of peelable cover sheets or facings adhered to it, is well-known, particularly in bandages and the like, for application to the human body, as exemplified in US. Patent No. 2,703,083. The adhesives and the compounds C must be selected for mutual compatability permitting easy peeling of the protective facing 21. It does not follow that the compound C on the peelable material is interchangeable for all suitable adhesives.

Facing material may be provided as set forth in No. 2,703,083, which is referred to for detail. In general, films or coatings made of vinyl chloride resins afiord suitable facing sheets for purposes of the invention. Such types of vinyl chloride resins vary widely and may consist, for example, of copolymers, such as those of vinyl chloride with vinyl acetate, vinylidene chloride, and the like. These films may be utilized as laminates; as free, unsupported films; or as coatings. This latter type should possess stnficient adhesion to the particular backing selected and may be applied there as organosols, solutions, or as latices by methods well-known in the art. Coatings and coated as the terms are used herein include impregnation, i.e., permeation of the coating into the interstices of the base, when a substantial amount of the impregnant remains on the surface to provide the smooth and continuous surface of organic material.

Such vinyl chloride compositions as described above may or may not contain plasticizers. If plasticizers are used they should be chosen so as not adversely to affect the properties of the underlying adhesive mass.

Cellulose acetate is another particularly good facing material. It may be used as an unsupported film of about 1.5 to 5 mils thickness; as a coating on paper; or as a laminate to a suitable backing. As a laminate it may be used in a thickness of about 1 mil, due to the reinforcing action of the backing. In general, laminates are preferable when the product is to be steam sterilized, as properly prepared laminates have superior resistance to the conditions of steam sterilization. Such laminates may be prepared with suitable well-known adhesives of any type, such as solution, emulsion, or hot melt adhesives.

Pressure-sensitive adhesives may vary widely as stated in No. 2,703,083. The properties of the adhesive mass are of importance in aifording the proper relation between compound C and the adhesive surface. The mass is, of course, normally tacky and pressure-sensitive. It may have a base of natural or synthetic rubber such as those including styrene, butadiene, or isobutylene as a polymer or copolymer, or the mass may be based on other polymers such as polyalkylacrylate, etc. The tack, pressuresensitivity, plasticity, and other properties are controlled by compounding the adhesive mass according to techniques Well known in the art.

One satisfactory adhesive mass is composed of polyisobutylene according to Wing U.S.P. 2,484,060, preferably with an average molecular weight (Staudinger) of about 100,000 compounded with effective amounts of tackifier, plasticizcr and pigment, etc, as disclosed in the patent.

Another suitable mass is based on natural pale crepe rubber (47%) and contains dehydrogenated rosin acid as MP. -72 C. tackifier (36%), lanolin (10%) as plasticizer, and starch (5%) as filler, milled for time to provide homogeneity. Blends of the synthetic and natural rubbers may be utilized, and it is preferred to control the ingredient proportions and other conditions to provide suitable plasticities.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the invention may be practiced in numerous ways, and with modifications other than the illustrated embodiment, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

i claim:

1. Extension means for application to one end of a cigarette, said means comprising a sheet to be rolled into tubular form over said end of a cigarette, said sheet having a form including two parallel side edges at right angles to the axis of its tubular form, the remaining two end edges being spaced apart suificiently to provide overlapping ends over the full extent of the tubular form, normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive on one face of said sheet, said adhesive covering one area between said end edges and extending inwardly from one of said parallel edges for a predetermined distance, one portion of said distance providing adhesive for securing the sheet in tubular form to the end of a cigarette, a filter unit alined to parallel said axis and united to said sheet by said adhesive in at least .a remaining portion of said distance so as to be adhesively secured peripherally within said tubular form, said adhesive also covering an area along one end edge and between said two side edges for securing the overlapping edges in the tubular form, and a peelable sheet overlying the filter unit and being secured at least to the adhesive along the end edges.

2. Extension means for application to one end of a igarette, said means comprising a sheet to be rolled into tubular form over said end of a cigarette, said sheet having a form including two parallel side edges at right angles to the axis of its tubular form, the remaining two end edges being spaced apart sufficiently to provide overlapping ends over the full extent of the tubular form, and normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive on one face of said sheet, said adhesive covering the entire face of said sheet, a filter unit positioned to coincide with said axis with one end located flush with one of said parallel side edges and the other end located intermediate said parallel side edges, said unit being secured to said sheet by said adhesive, and a peelable sheet overlying the filter unit and being secured at least to the adhesive along the end edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 779,687 Butler Jan. 10, 1905 2,026,307 Friedman Dec. 3, 1935 2,049,030 Strauss July 28, 1936 2,102,690 Fischer Dec. 21, 1937 2,695,617 Warnberg Nov. 10, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,188,413 France Mar. 16, 1959 430,786 Great Britain June 21, 1935 

1. EXTENSION MEANS FOR APPLICATION TO ONE END OF A CIGARETTE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SHEET TO BE ROLLED INTO TUBULAR FORM OVER SAID END OF A CIGARETTE, SAID SHEET HAVING A FORM INCLUDING TWO PARALLEL SIDE EDGES AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE AXIS OF ITS TUBULAR FORM, THE REMAINING TWO END EDGES BEING SPACED APART SUFFICIENTLY TO PROVIDE OVERLAPPING ENDS OVER THE FULL EXTENT OF THE TUBULAR FORM, NORMALLY TACKY PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON ONE FACE OF SAID SHEET, SAID ADHESIVE COVERING ONE AREA BETWEEN SAID END EDGES AND EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM ONE OF SAID PARALLEL EDGES FOR A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, ONE PORTION OF SAID DISTANCE PROVIDING ADHESIVE FOR SECURING THE SHEET 